


The Original Sorcerer

by MarphasChappers, NicholasFlamelFan



Series: Of Ideas and Collections (The Alchemy Lab) [31]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alice in Wonderland References, Dark One Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Dark One's Dagger (Once Upon a Time), Henrik Mikaelson is Alive, Kid Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time), Klaus Mikaelson Has A Heart, M/M, Minor Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Emma Swan, Past Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Emma Swan, Protective Elijah Mikaelson, Protective Klaus Mikaelson, Protective Rebekah Mikaelson, Protective Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Queen of Hearts | Cora Being an Asshole, Sane-ish Mad Hatter | Jefferson, Sassy Damon Salvatore, The Dark One (Once Upon a Time) AU, The Dark One's Origin Story, The Enchanted Forest (Once Upon a Time), Trapped in Wonderland
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24742627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarphasChappers/pseuds/MarphasChappers, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicholasFlamelFan/pseuds/NicholasFlamelFan
Summary: When Henrik disappeared right in front of their eyes after being mauled by a werewolf, the Mikaelsons thought he was dead. What no one apart from Ayana was aware of was that his story was only beginning.Over a thousand years later, the Dark Sorcerer - as he was known as in the Enchanted Forest - would turn the lives of the Mikaelson family upside down.
Relationships: Baelfire | Neal Cassidy & Henrik Mikaelson, Baelfire | Neal Cassidy & Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Damon Salvatore & Henrik Mikaelson, Elijah Mikaelson & Finn Mikaelson & Klaus Mikaelson & Kol Mikaelson & Rebekah Mikaelson, Esther Mikaelson & Henrik Mikaelson, Grace | Paige & Mad Hatter | Jefferson, Henrik Mikaelson & Klaus Mikaelson, Henrik Mikaelson & Original Character(s), Henrik Mikaelson & Rumpelstiltskin | Mr. Gold, Henry Mills & Henrik Mikaelson, Mad Hatter | Jefferson & Henrik
Series: Of Ideas and Collections (The Alchemy Lab) [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1399345
Comments: 18
Kudos: 30





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Faceclaim for Henrik: Dylan O'Brien
> 
> Faceclaim for Zephyr: Ian Bohen

Niklaus stumbled through the forest, clutching his dying brother to his chest “Mother,” he shouted, praying to every deity he knew that she would be able to help. He hadn’t wanted Henrik to get hurt. This was supposed to be a bit of fun… Not this “Mother.”

“No,” Esther gasped as soon as she saw why her son was screaming his head off “No. What happened?”

Niklaus collapsed to the ground, trying to keep a hold of Henrik despite his mother trying to pull him away “The wolves,” he sniffed “I am sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Ayana smiled lightly, watching Henrik with a knowing look in her eyes. It was time. He was finally ready for the purpose the fates had decided for him. She turned over a special stone in her fingers, itching to give it to him. It had been with her since Henrik’s birth and she had held onto it in the hopes of being there when it happened. After all, he had been her student since he was a child. Esther had no idea that she had been teaching her son all that she knew. With how often Henrik had stayed with her while he was sick… He had always been a curious child and she loved seeing how his mind made connections no one else had made. It was a gift. He… was a gift.

“We must save him,” Esther pleaded, turning wide eyes to Ayana “Please, there must be a way.”

Ayana shook her head “The spirits will not give us a way, Esther,” she told her friend. With the necklace, still clutched in her hands, she could see the boy weakening. Any moment now. She swiftly knelt down and clasped the stone around his neck at the same time as he was swallowed in a bright purple glow.

“What’s happening?” Esther demanded, stumbling away from her youngest child “Ayana, what did you do?”

“I did nothing,” she shrugged “This is the fates at work, Esther. I know not what is going on but your boy is gone. He is dead whether you like it or not.”

Esther clutched at the ground, desperate to hold her son. The son who had disappeared right in front of her eyes “No,” she cried out “No.”  
  


Zephyr made his way through the forest. He had just completed another one of his deals and he was ready to drop. This one had annoyed him into almost killing the idiot who had ‘needed’ his help. It was ridiculous. Why some people still wished for riches when most of them knew what the price was, bugged him. He was alone. Totally and utterly alone in a huge castle, all because of who he was. After losing his family, he had made a choice that had ensured him being alone ever since then.

“What in the…?” he breathed when a purple light shimmered in front of him. He took a step back, ready to defend himself should whatever that was be here to attack him. He watched as a figure appeared from the light. The light disappeared before practically exploding outwards. Zephyr shivered when the feeling of strange magic washed over him.

As soon as he realised that the person on the ground was close to bleeding out, he sprung into action. If he wanted to know what that magic had been, he needed the guy alive.

It was only when he got closer that he saw that the person was a kid, no older than thirteen or fourteen. How was it that a child got injured as badly as that? And if he wasn’t mistaken the wounds looked like bite and claw marks. Either he stumbled onto a wolf den or something more was going on here.

Zephyr transported the two of them to his castle, placing the child down on the bed in one of the rooms close to his bedroom. If he was making the effort of taking care of the kid, he would need to make sure that he didn’t die on the way without him noticing.

He looked down at the boy before he vanished his clothes. At the sight in front of him, he had to hide a wince. The wounds were even worse without the dirty and torn clothing hiding them from view “How are you still alive?” Zephyr muttered to himself before he quickly summoned potions and everything else he would need. Bandages, water and some herbs he had crushed earlier that day “This is going to hurt.”

Zephyr worked tirelessly for hours before he felt the boy was as stable as he could be. There was no guarantee he would survive even with the potions and magic he used. If infection set in, he was sure the boy was a dead man walking but so far, so good. While the child would always carry the scars, the one on his right shoulder being by far the worst, at least he would be alive.

Once he was done, he slumped back in a chair that was positioned in the corner of his room. Now he only had to wait for the child to wake up. When that would be… Zephyr didn’t know but he would be here the moment he was. For now, he would get some food and take a nap. Spending as much magic as he had was tiring at the best of times.

It was days later when Zephyr was once again checking the wounds of his house guest. He unravelled the bandages when the boy let out a low groan, scrunching up his face in pain “Lie still,” Zephyr told the boy, his hand on the uninjured shoulder “You’re badly wounded.”

Henrik ignored the instructions, fighting to sit up and squinting at his surroundings in confusion and no small amount of pain "Where am I?" he asked, surprised at how rough his voice sounded.

Zephyr handed him some water before sitting down at the end of the bed "You're in the Enchanted Forest."

"The what?" Henrik questioned.


	2. New World and New Beginnings

_Then…_

_It was days later when Zephyr was once again checking the wounds of his house guest. He unravelled the bandages when the boy let out a low groan, scrunching up his face in pain “Lie still,” Zephyr told the boy, his hand on the uninjured shoulder “You’re badly wounded.”_

_Henrik ignored the instructions, fighting to sit up and squinting at his surroundings in confusion and no small amount of pain "Where am I?" he asked, surprised at how rough his voice sounded._

_Zephyr handed him some water before sitting down at the end of the bed "You're in the Enchanted Forest."_

_"The what?" Henrik questioned._

Now…

“The Enchanted Forest,” Zephyr repeated “It’s this land, this realm. I don’t really know how to describe it.”

Henrik frowned “But where is my home? My family? I don’t understand how I got here.”

Zephyr placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder “What do you remember?”

“I – I wanted to see the wolves change back into men,” he explained, voice small “I know that father forbid it and I know that it was dangerous. Niklaus – my brother came with me and… That’s all I remember.”

“You were hurt,” Zephyr told the boy “For a while, I wasn’t sure whether you would make it.”

Henrik raised his hand to his chest before he hissed “But how did I get here? Are you one of them?”

“One of what, child?”

“Henrik,” he replied immediately “My name is Henrik.”

“Zephyr,” the man smiled lightly “It’s nice to meet you, Henrik.”

Henrik wrapped his arms around his knees before starting to pick at a loose thread “I don’t understand how I came to be here. I… I don’t know what happened?”

“I can tell you what I know but I warn you,” Zephyr murmured “I don’t really know a lot. You appeared in front of me. Through this bright light and I felt your magic.”

Henrik flinched “You know that I have magic?”

“Of course,” Zephyr huffed out a laugh “Your magic is stronger than that of most people and it seems completely unique. I have been around these lands for years now and I have never felt anything like this.”

“How?” Henrik asked, confused that the man would be so interested “It is common where I am from. My mother, brothers and a… my mother’s teacher. She taught me a lot.”

“Now, that I want to know about,” Zephyr told him, leaning forward curiously “But it has time. For now, I will try to teach you what you have to know about this land. If I’m right – and I normally am – then you are from a different realm. I know of a few but nothing that would account for your magic.”

* * *

Henrik frowned at Zephyr one day, leaning his head back against the wall “You have magic too, right?”

“I do, yes,” Zephyr nodded.

“Have you always had it? How does magic work in your world? Is it the same for everyone? Do you have magical creatures? Witches?” Henrik questioned.

Zephyr laughed, sitting down on the chair across from the bed “Breathe, Henrik. I can only answer one question at a time.”

Henrik blushed, ducking his head “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“No, you’re curious,” Zephyr pointed out “It’s really quite amazing. Especially if you want to learn. I’d be happy to teach you what I know if that’s what you wish.”

“Would you?” Henrik asked, his eyes lighting up in delight. The only person who taught him before was Ayana but mostly because his mother didn’t know that he was studying magic. Neither did his siblings for that matter. With how often Henrik had gotten sick over the past ten years, he didn’t want to play with his brothers that much. He mostly kept around Rebekah or followed Niklaus while keeping his distance when he got rowdy with Elijah.

Zephyr smiled, ruffling Henrik’s hair playfully “Of course, child. I don’t go back on my word. Now, to your questions.”

“Oh, right.” Henrik rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his hair out of his eyes “Have you always had your magic?”

“That… Is actually more complicated,” Zephyr admitted with a small grimace “Now, there is a way for people of this word to gain magic. It needs a special sort of situation… emotion, really. With the right drive, you can become one of the Dark Ones. It’s just a pretty title in my opinion but the magic is there and depending on how dedicated you are your magic will just continue to grow.”

Henrik frowned in confusion “But it’s not ultimate power from the sound of it, right?”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Zephyr shook his head “Ultimate power would be a little much, don’t you think?”

“That depends on your goals,” Henrik shrugged “I know a couple of people who would really be interested in that. But I can’t really see the appeal. That kind of power sounds exhausting.”

Zephyr snorted out a laugh “I can agree with that. Why someone would want that is beyond me.”

Henrik hummed thoughtfully, his eyes going to the window “What if it is to protect someone?”

“I still think that it would create too much of an imbalance but I guess that would depend on how you pull it off,” Zephyr murmured “Why are you so interested in that? Please tell me that you won’t try to…”

Henrik’s face contorted in an expression of disgust and he shuddered “No way. I can think of better things to do with my time.”

“That’s good,” Zephyr sighed in relief. He really didn’t think the boy wanted it but a part of him was suspicious. Nothing good ever came out of striving too much power. It’s why he mostly focussed on healing and helping people in need. After the first few years where he was on a power trip, he changed his ways. It was after he didn’t recognise himself in the mirror that he realised he had a choice. The choice of becoming one of the monsters he ran away from or to be the better man. He chose to become a better man and so far he hadn’t regretted it.

“So… Magic is quite different in your world,” Henrik pointed out “It’s interesting that apparently, you can gain magic – Does everyone have the potential to do it?”

“Yes and no,” Zephyr hummed “There are limitations but ultimately… There is a way, I suppose. Even if it’s only a temporary solution. How was it where you’re from?”

“Different,” Henrik laughed, running a hand through his hair and grimaced at the dried blood that was still in his hair. He had barely been awake for more than an hour at a time and hadn’t had time to wash yet “I inherited magic from my mother. Actually, it’s been in her family for a while. Two of my older brothers were practising as well but I was taught by my mother’s friend. Her family is… old. There are quite a few interesting things in her grimoires that I would like to try out. Maybe I should write them down… It would certainly make things easier to remember later on.”

Zephyr raised his eyebrows “Do share.”

“Not quite yet,” Henrik shook his head “There are some things that I need to do before that. I won’t share anything I’m not certain about. Not if it can go wrong.”

“Fair enough,” Zephyr inclined his head.

Henrik tilted his head “So, do you have magical creatures here? Witches, werewolves? That kind of stuff.”

“There are quite a few kinds of creatures here,” Zephyr told him “About equal parts dangerous and nice.”

“What kinds?”

Zephyr leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling “I think I have a book around here somewhere that you could read. But just to name a few… There’s fairies, giants, ogres, imps, dragons, dwarves, unicorns, gryphons, elves, pixies… And a lot more.”

“Woah,” Henrik breathed “That’s a lot. I – I can’t even pretend to know half of these creatures. The only thing I know about are werewolves.” Here he shuddered, pressing his hand to his throat. The thought alone made him think about the pain he had been in when the wolves attacked.

“Is that how you got injured?” Zephyr asked, sitting up straighter “These werewolves?”

Henrik swallowed heavily “Yes,” he mumbled “They… I… I wanted to see them turn back into men and convinced one of my brothers to take me there… I paid for it with my life.” He peaked up through a curtain of hair “Had you not found me… There was so much pain.”

Zephyr looked at the boy for a moment before he moved to the side of the bed, drawing him into his arms “You’re fine. They can’t hurt you here. You know that, right?”

“I know but I can still feel them,” Henrik whispered, burying his face in Zephyr’s shoulder “I feel the claws slicing through my body. The teeth… It hurt so much and I can hear Nik screaming.”

“Shh,” Zephyr whispered, rocking them back and forth gently.

* * *

Almost a whole year passed since Zephyr had taken Henrik in and healed him. The two had gotten a lot closer over the months and soon Zephyr started teaching Henrik everything he knew about magic. During that time, the younger of the two had also worked on his own, trying to piece together the rituals and spells he remembered from Ayana’s grimoires. One such spell was the immortality spell one of her ancestors had used – what she had used it for, he didn’t know. Nor did he want to. From what had been written there it wasn’t a subject to discuss.

“When are you going to tell me what you’re working on?” Zephyr asked, glancing over Henrik’s shoulder to squint at the symbols on the piece of parchment.

Henrik bit his lip “In a moment, Zephyr,” he mumbled “I think I almost got it…”

He scribbled some more unreadable symbols onto the parchment, causing Zephyr to almost go cross-eyed. It had been interesting trying to teach Henrik to read their script. The boy had tried to explain his language to Zephyr but to no avail “What in the world?” Zephyr mumbled to himself before sinking down, trying to concentrate on his own book.

“Yes,” Henrik exclaimed, completing the circle with a triumphant expression “It lives.”

“What are you talking about?” Zephyr sighed in amusement. Henrik sounded like a mad man just now. Then again, he had been trying to finish this for close to a year already and hadn’t had any luck. Whenever he had asked, the only response was that he was drawing runes. They weren’t like any runes he had ever seen but then again… Here, they barely used them. At least not to his knowledge.

Henrik shoved the piece of parchment over to Zephyr “This… Is a ritual that makes people immortal. Or – Somewhat immortal at least. Their life will be bound to one object that can kill them. A potion, a tree, a weapon. Something like that.”

“How did you…?”

“It’s a bit of a modified version of the ritual my mentor had in her grimoire. This – Is slightly different though. I had an idea while looking into the Dark Ones,” Henrik admitted.

Zephyr raised his eyebrows “Meaning?”

Henrik chewed on his lip for a moment “The ‘choosing’ of Dark Ones is flawed. Everyone with the right drive can get the powers which is more than a little dangerous.” He paused, running a hand through his hair “There have been so many towns and villages lost to the powers of the Dark Ones… So what if we make it so that there is only one Dark One? One person with these powers just a bit more powerful than all the others? Immortal.”

“And you think this person should be me?” Zephyr swallowed “I don’t want that kind of power, Henrik. I never did.”

Henrik smiled at him “And that’s why you would be the best candidate for this. You wouldn’t misuse it. Zephyr, nothing would change. You could still help people and even protect others from the Dark Ones.”

“I don’t know,” he hesitated “I still think this is a really bad idea.”

“Think about it?” Henrik asked “Just… The option is there. We’ll just have to think of an object that would bind the powers… Although, I do kind of have an idea for that already.”

Zephyr raised his eyebrow “You really did think about this, didn’t you?”

“More than I’d like to admit,” Henrik grumbled “This has been on my mind for a while. I don’t like this anymore than you do but I feel like it has to happen. Something has to change because the balance is all wrong. There are too many Dark Ones who wish the world harm. Nature is wanting it fixed but I don’t know how… This is the only thing I can think of, Zephyr. Trust me when I say that I don’t want for you to do this anymore than you wish to do it but… What if we don’t have another choice?”

Zephyr shook his head “It has worked so far. Why do you think that things are changing?”

“They have been changing since the knowledge became common,” Henrik explained “There have been more Dark Ones in the past ten years than in the last four hundred combined.”

“But why would you want to fix it? Why you?”

“Maybe there is a reason I’m here,” Henrik shrugged “I don’t know, Zephyr. I really don’t. It just feels like it’s something that I have to do. Whether you think it’s right or not.”

Zephyr bit his cheek hard enough for there to be blood “Then why don’t you become the Dark One? Why me?”

“Because you already hold the power and my magic is too different for it to work,” Henrik pointed out “That and I am too young still. I don’t wish to become immortal unless it is to spend years with you.”

“I’ll think about it,” Zephyr sighed unwillingly “But I am against this. Let it be known.”

“Duly noted,” Henrik laughed before gathering the parchments together “I’m truly sorry, Zephyr.”

The older man closed his eyes “So am I.”

* * *

“Where are you going?” Zephyr asked, looking up from the tomb he was writing in when Henrik moved past him.

Henrik hesitated for a moment “I was going to go talk to Master Ferron to see if he would take me on as an apprentice.”

Zephyr raised his eyebrows in surprise “And here I thought you were my apprentice,” he smiled teasingly.

“Zephyr,” Henrik huffed “You know why I want to do this.”

“I do,” the Dark One agreed with a put-upon sigh “Although I do wish you would finally give it up.”

Henrik shook his head “I’m not going to give this up. There have been more reports of Dark Ones going off the rails. Zephyr, I think I’m here for a reason… What if this is what I’m supposed to do?”

“And what if it isn’t?” Zephyr asked “I really don’t know about this, child.”

Henrik sighed quietly, already used to his friend acting this way whenever the topic was brought up “Just… Let me do this, alright? If you don’t want to do this, maybe there will be another who will be able to bind himself. I told you before that I’m not going to force you but I will most likely do a ritual on my eighteenth birthday.”

“So you told me,” Zephyr gestured.

“I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing,” Henrik admitted “But I’m trying to at least bring balance to what happened here. The other Dark Ones… they’re dangerous, Zephyr. Maybe you can control it but I’ve seen things over the past year that I’ve been gone and you don’t understand why I feel this way. I’m not forcing you to bear this burden. I just thought you would like a chance to make this world a better place.”

Zephyr snorted “Aren’t you being idealistic? What good can one man do?”

Henrik shook his head. It wasn’t the right time. Zephyr wasn’t willing to listen and Henrik knew that his words wouldn’t be enough to convince his mentor “We will talk about this when you really want to know. I need to leave now. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

* * *

“There is another Dark One,” Henrik exclaimed, practically falling through the door in his hurry “He’s been on a killing spree a couple of miles out. I’m not sure how long until he comes here.”

“What makes you so sure he’s coming?” Zephyr asked.

Henrik shoved the books and rolls of parchments off the table and spread out the map he had marked the locations of the other Dark Ones on with magic. Many of the dots that had been there were a dark red, signalling that they were dead “Here. His route has been more or less clear. It’s hard to miss it when you realize what’s happening. He started out somewhere here.” He pointed to the northern part of the map “And then went through here and down towards our location. I haven’t heard from the others in too long. I think he is deliberately trying to pick others like him off the map.”

“That means he’s coming for me,” Zephyr whispered and closed his eyes “Why, though?”

“Revenge? It is a way to become a Dark One, so maybe he wanted revenge on the others for a reason or another,” Henrik shrugged “I don’t know, Zephyr but we have to do something.”

Zephyr swallowed and looked at the map again “I think I’m ready to listen now,” he breathed.

Henrik’s head snapped up “Are you sure? I don’t want to force you into this. I’m sure we can stop him another way.”

“I’m sure,” Zephyr told him with a small smile “Very sure.”

“Then let’s get ready. With your help I should be ready for the ritual in a couple of days,” Henrik clapped his hands together “If I calculate correctly we have about fifteen days until the attacker is here. By then, we should be done.”

Zephyr clasped Henrik’s shoulder “We’ll do this.”

“Yes. We will.” Henrik looked up at him with a smile “Thank you, Zephyr.”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is another one of my (way too many ideas – Thanks Marphas X.X)
> 
> Anyway, this AN is for the pairing. I have a couple of ideas but I want your decision as well as the readers. Both Marphas and I already have a favourite and have planned things for that pairing but we would ultimately bow to the majority if you choose something else.
> 
> Here are the different pairing ideas:
> 
> Henrik/Damon
> 
> Henrik/Jefferson
> 
> Henrik/Jefferson/Damon
> 
> Nick


End file.
